A Teaspoon of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down
by silver drip
Summary: Accompanying piece to Just a Cup of Sugar. Set six years before. Don't read if you haven't gotten to chapter 22 of Just a Cup of Sugar yet.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I feel rather narcissistic, starting out this story with a quote from one of my others, but I mean this story is partially based off the quote. I'm clockin' this short story at about 5 or 6 chapters btw. Enjoy. **

"So here's where the story gets interesting. She drives from Arizona to Washington just to tell him she's not going to move in with him...Chief Swan, understandably, gets real bent out of shape… He said he'd give her three months to play out this little fantasy of hers…Once her three months were up he went down to Arizona only to find the house sold off at a pretty cheap price and no trace of Bella anywhere." –Edward Chapter 14 of Just a Cup of Sugar

**A Teaspoon of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down**

**Bella's POV**

Reene's car wasn't used to this wet weather. All the dust and dirt it had accumulated was quickly being washed away as the rain started coming down harder. The air conditioning wasn't working and my knuckles were white from both the cold and my tight grip on the steering wheel. The long drive from Arizona to Washington had taken a toll on me. It left me too much time to think, too much time to think about how Renee died, about how she was rotting in a hole, how those bastards at Dopkins Constructions didn't even say sorry even though it was their fault she died so painfully, so cruelly. I pushed away the image of her dead body that was ever present in my mind since she died three months ago.

I had just entered Forks. Even though I haven't been here in years I easily found my way to Charlie's. I sat outside of his house, preparing myself mentally. I didn't want to- no I _couldn't_ leave Arizona. It was my home, it was where Renee died, and it is where my life is. Moving up to this place would only depress me. I remember when Charlie called me to wish me a happy birthday. It started off pleasantly enough, both of us avoiding mentioning Renee's death, but then…

_"Bella, I know you don't want to hear this, but I've made arrangements for you to come live with me up here. You're only seventeen and in high school. I don't feel comfortable with you living alone at such a young age."_

_"But, Charlie-"_

_"No buts! I have already let you stay down there for three months since you begged me and you wanted to mourn Renee in your own way. I love you, but I won't allow any daughter of mine to live by herself. It's shameful. You should only live without your parents once you get married. I want you packed and here in Forks by the end of the week. If I have to come down there and get you, you won't like the consequences."Before I could even respond he ended the call._

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. If I can just get him to understand my reasoning for wanting to stay there… I sighed. I have to try at least. I grabbed my purse and left the car, running to the house. Charlie wasn't home yet, but luckily he left the door unlocked. No one would be stupid enough to rob his house.

To butter him up I quickly cooked up some fish I found in the freezer. An hour later I heard his car and the front door open.

"Bells, why does your car only have a backpack in it? Where is the rest of your things?" So much for buttering him up. His voice was already so angry and my dread skyrocketed.

"I'm in here, Dad." I said in sweetest voice. "I made us some dinner." His face was red and his cop uniform only made me feel more anxious.

"Don't avoid the question." He said gruffly and I sighed. It was now or never.

"I only have a backpack because I'm staying in Arizona. I only drove up here so I could tell you face to face since I respect you." He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't stop my well rehearsed speech. "I've already made up my mind. Renee's life insurance left me enough to completely pay of the mortgage, I have a steady, well paying job as a professional groundskeeper, and I can maintain myself as an adult. I love Arizona and I don't want to leave it. I'd have to start completely over if I came here, leave behind all of my friends. I'm not willing to do that just because you don't trust me." I said in my calmest voice, hoping he would understand me.

"And what about high school, Isabella? You still have a year left." I cringed. I was hoping he wouldn't ask that.

"I have always wanted to be a gardener. I already have a lifelong position at the company I work for. I don't need any more schooling." My voice got higher with each word. Charlie was about to explode. I could see it.

"Are you out of your mind!?" He shouted at me. "You seventeen for heaven's sakes! You may think this is what you want, but you're still a child! This might sound like a good idea to you right now, but in five years you will see how stupid of a plan this is! No daughter of mine is going to live by herself! I was afraid this would happen. Renee was always a horrible influence on people, living alone, unmarried! How many men did she have after me? I won't have you following in her footsteps, Isabella! You are a God fearing child, I won't let you go to hell like her!" I shrunk back at the conviction in his voice.

"This isn't the dark ages!" I rebutted. "Women are allowed to live alone. I have a career. I know I'm making the right decision! I've always wanted to be a gardener, ever since I can remember." I grabbed my purse, and started heading for the door. I felt a sharp pain as Charlie grabbed my wrist, halting me. I looked at him, more scared than I'd been in my life. When he saw my face he let go.

"Sorry Bells." He sighed and his face slowly turned back to its normal shade. I stood, frozen in place, cradling my wrist. "I know it's not the dark ages. I just don't want you to end up like your mother. You need to finish high school, find a nice man to marry, and have lots of children." I bit my tongue to stop myself from shouting at him again. "I'll give you three months to play out this little fantasy of yours. You'll see that the real world isn't all fun and games. When those three months are over you're coming to live here. End of discussion." He turned his back on me, and towards the kitchen and the meal I had prepared. I didn't move at first, but when I heard the sounds of silverware on a plate I bolted for the door and to the car. He didn't follow me.

* * *

**So this is just the intro chapter, setting the mood and such. The next few chapters will fill in the blank between now and when Charlie heads down to Arizona. Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn it." I whispered to myself as I wiped away the tears that wouldn't stop falling. I can't believe he said that. Renee had told me that he was very old fashion, but I didn't think she meant that way. Mom is in heaven. I don't care what anyone says. She might not have been the chastest of people, but she was a good person.

I'd been driving for an hour now, heading back to Arizona, but it was getting dark fast, and the rain was only coming down harder. I should have just left from Charlie's in the morning, but after what he said about Mom, I couldn't stand being in his presence a second longer.

I pulled the car to the shoulder of the road. My tears and the rain were making it increasingly difficult for me to see straight. I hadn't cried this much since her funereal. He had just pissed me off so much! Mom is in heaven and I'm getting my dream job. Why can't he just let me make the best out of a bad situation? Mom would understand and support me.

My wrist hurts so much. The bruise had already started forming. I hadn't realized I was shaking until I tried to take a sip from my water bottle and could only barely open it. My fingers were bone white because of the cold. Renee was supposed to drive the car in to get the AC repaired, but the day before her appointment the accident happened. I pushed down the pain of thinking about it. I raised the water bottle to my lips and it fell out of my hands, spilling water all over my shirt.

"Damn it." I whispered again, completely breaking down. I cried for fifteen minutes letting the pain overwhelm me. Slowly the tears subsided. I leaned my head back on the chair, completely exhausted both physically and emotionally. My vision was blurry, but a dim light through the trees caught my attention. I rubbed my eyes and squinted. It was actually two flashing lights just inside the tree line. I looked at them a minute longer until it clicked in my head that it was probably the hazard lights of a car. I wouldn't have been able to see it from the street, but the shoulder was low enough so I could. Hopefully it wasn't a car crash.

I groped blindly for my umbrella, only to remember I had left it at Charlie's house when I was hastily leaving. At least it was still above freezing. I pulled up my hood and got out of the car into the pelting rain. I jogged toward the flashing lights only to fall in the mud halfway there.

"Damn it!" My wrist hurt even more now and I quickly wiped the mud on my already completely wet jeans. I walked the rest of the way there. It was a nice black car. I didn't see any damage on my initial inspection. I saw a light flicker briefly through the tinted windows. I pressed my hands against the glass of the passenger's door and looked inside. I could see the faint outline of someone with a cigar in their mouth. They took a long drag of it than replacing it with-

I grabbed the door and yanked it open. The man looked at me in surprise, the gun in his hand dropping to his lap.

"Fuck, I had just gotten the courage to do it." His words were slurred and I spotted a bottle of some brown alcohol wedged between him and the door. "And then some angel comes and stops me." He laughed like a madman and I grabbed the gun from his lap, throwing it outside. "Now how am I supposed to kill myself without a gun? I'm going to have to buy another one." He sighed and I felt my anger suddenly rise for some reason. He looked at me again and his annoyed look suddenly changed to one of fear. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He wailed. "Please angel, don't be mad at me." He grabbed his bottle and I saw that it was half full of bourbon. He went to take a swig and I grabbed it from him, throwing it outside like I had done with the gun. He cried harder, covering his face with his hands. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

I didn't know what to do. I'd never seen a grown man cry before, let alone try to kill himself. His tears slowly subsided until he was just staring at the steering wheel with a blank look on his face. A few minutes later he fell asleep in his seat.

I realized I was absolutely freezing. The car door was still open and my clothes were completely drenched. What the hell am I supposed to do in this situation? I closed the door to the car quietly, with me still inside. I cranked up the heat of the AC and I stopped shivering after a few minutes. I glanced at the sleeping man. Should I call the cops? What was I supposed to tell them? I broke into someone's car 'cause they were about to kill themselves? If that got back to Charlie he'd make me move in with him right away. I sighed silently. I couldn't leave him alone. If I did next time there might not be someone there to stop him from pulling the trigger.

I looked around the car for anything of use. A sticker told me the car was a rental. His cigar had burned a patch in the carpet. The cell phone on the ground was dead. I spotted his wallet in the cup holder. At least I could find out who this guy was now. Perhaps he'd have the number of someone in his family that could help him. Shit! It was packed with hundreds. His driver's license said he was from New York. Daniel Halterman, age 25. He was younger than I thought he was. The dark bags beneath his eyes and look of distress he wore even in his sleep made me think he was in his thirties. There was a picture of him with what looked like his brother and parents. They were obviously a wealthy family. The wallet was packed with credit cards, but eventually I found a hotel key card. It had an address and phone number on it.

What the hell am I suppose to do in this situation? I groaned in frustration just looking at his driver's license. He looked a lot happier there.

"Excuse me, Mr. Halterman?" I whispered, half hoping that he wouldn't wake up. "Mr. Halterman?" I said louder and he still didn't stir. "Daniel?" His eyes cracked open and he looked at me with a blank expression. "Is there anyone I can call for you? Any friends or family?" I asked softly. He shook his head no and I could see gleaming in his eyes. "Shh, it's okay." I patted his shoulder awkwardly. "How about we just get you back to your hotel than we can work it out from there?" He nodded and for some reason the look in his eyes reminded me of a scared child.

* * *

**So yeah, this is how Daniel and Bella met. Were you expecting that? Merry Christmas!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

I called the number on the key card. They effortlessly gave me directions. The hotel wasn't too far away. I looked around his rental car only just realizing it was stick shift. "We're going to have to go in my car. I can't drive stick and you're in no condition to drive. My car is just over there. Come on." I reached across the center council hesitantly pulling the keys from the ignition so he wouldn't just drive off the second I closed the door behind me. I got out of the car, but he didn't follow. I walked over to his side of the car and opened his door. He was looking at the steering wheel blankly again. "Come on, Daniel." I crooned. He was motionless. I slowly grabbed his hand and gave it a light tug. Daniel looked up at me, almost dazed. "Please Daniel." I could feel tears of frustration surfacing, the pain of the last few months smashing down on me. He nodded slightly and started following me. I ushered him into the passage side of my car.

My car didn't turn on immediately, but after a few tries it rumbled to life. I looked over at my silent companion. He was staring out the front windshield motionless. After taking note of the mile marker we were at I carefully I pulled back onto the highway. He didn't seem to really notice the change. The directions were easy enough to follow. Fifteen horribly silent minutes later we were arrived at the hotel. At least the rain had slowed to a trickle.

"Which room are you in?" I asked. He, of course, didn't answer. "Daniel, what room are you in?" I asked gently. I wiped away an aggravated tear that had leaked out. "Daniel, you have to help me out here." I tried to hold back my anger, but it came out in my tone. He looked at me with scared eyes and I instantly felt bad. "Which room is yours?" I said quietly while tilting my head slightly.

"212." He mumbled while blushing. I nodded, somewhat put off by his reaction. When I got out of my car he followed me without prompting. I shouldn't have been surprised by the extravagance of the hotel considering what I had seen recently pertaining to this person. When we got to his room he immediately flopped down face first onto the bed. I looked at his nearly motionless form before shaking my head and heading for the bathroom. Locking the door behind me, quickly changing out of my rain drenched clothes and into the spare I had brought in case I decided to stay overnight in Forks.

Daniel… Mr. Halterman… whatever I was supposed to call him, was snoring lightly. I sat on the regal looking armchair in the corner of the room and ran a hand through my still damp hair. What the hell have I gotten myself into? I was not equipped to deal with a suicidal person, let alone one who probably could kill me with little effort. I could maybe, _maybe _throw a punch if he attacked me, but then it would be game over. I know no self defense yet here I am putting myself into a possibly dangerous position.

A part of me was tempted to just leave, put this whole… predicament behind me and just head back to Arizona and to the near perfect life I had scraped together for myself out of the ashes. But no, that's not how Renee raised me. She raised me to help those in need, to never turn my back on the helpless. Even after she had died I hadn't given up on our tradition of doing volunteer work every Saturday.

"Please just tell me how I can help." I mumbled.

I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep until a loud groaning startled me awake. I rubbed my eyes confused at first as to why I was sitting up. Another groan made me jump slightly. I looked around and my eyes automatically went to the stranger on the bed. He was clutching his head and crying.

"I should have a bullet between my eyes, not a splitting headache." He said and I sighed. I grabbed my backpack and pulled out two low dose painkillers. There was a plastic cup and I filled it with water before handing them both to him. He accepted both without question. He was way too trusting. Of course the same could be said of me, sleeping in the same room with a strange man I didn't know. I went to the door. "Where are you going?" He asked desperately.

"Breakfast." I muttered. "And you better be alive when I get back in here." I glared at him and he looked away from me. I had a feeling that he wouldn't take matters into his own hands again, not while I was around at least. I loaded up two plates from the free continental breakfast the hotel was offering. Speed walking, it was only a three minute round trip. He was exactly where I left him when I got back, clutching his head laying on the bed. I set the plate down on the bed side table. I started munching on a muffin and I instantly felt guilty. I hadn't paid for this food yet I was eating it. I stamped that feeling down. It was just breakfast. A hotel can spare a breakfast. Still, my apatite waned from my guilt.

* * *

"Please don't kill yourself." I said meekly after staring at my half full plate for a good ten minutes while he ate.

"Sometimes life is just too much." He said in a monotone as he finished off a second bagel. I felt anger boil up inside of me.

"Are you serious? Do you know how many people would be grateful to be in your position right now, their stomach full and in a warm bed?" I shouted before I could stop myself. He snorted at me, only making me angrier.

"You're just a kid. You don't understand how the real world is." Daniel got up and went to the fully stocked minifridge, pulling out a handful of small bottles. He opened one up and downed it.

"The way I see it is that you're the one acting like a child, sitting around in bed all day, bitching and moaning. What kind of adult does that, of course it doesn't help that I'm babying you!" I stood up and started pacing, pissed off at him and myself for getting into this weird situation. When I looked back over at him he was sitting on the bed, eyes full of tears and he was looking at his folded hands. I sighed and sat beside him. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

"No it wasn't. I'm being an ass and all you've done is help me. I was so gone last night that I thought you were a freaking angel." He unscrewed another bottle and drank it in two gulps. I picked one up. It was a small bottle of vodka.

"Shit," I whispered, "are you out of your mind? This is a six dollar bottle and it barely holds a shot and a half." He laughed and I realized it was the first time I had actually heard him sound happy.

"Six dollars isn't even a drop in the bucket." Daniel downed another one.

"Stop that." I grabbed the rest of the bottles and put them back in the fridge. He didn't protest. "Drinking isn't going to help the problem."

"Yeah, but it's going to make me feel better for a while. Why don't you leave already so I can finish what I started?" He said suddenly seriously. I tossed the empty bottles into the trash in silence. What the hell was someone supposed to say to that? He rolled his eyes dramatically.

"And you called me the kid." I mumbled. Renee had told me a thousand times that I needed to learn to watch my mouth. Luckily Daniel just chuckled at me and laid back down, quickly falling back asleep.

* * *

**They're both a bit moody right now... Whatcha think?**


	4. Chapter 4

I sat back down on the overstuffed chair, sighing. I seem to be doing that a lot today. Digging through my purse I found my cell phone. As expected Charlie hadn't called me.

Yesterday had definitely not gone according to plan. The only thing about yesterday that went right was that I made great time to Forks. I quickly shot off a text to my boss telling her my stay in Washington was lasting a bit longer than I had figured it would. She responded almost immediately that it was completely okay and that she'd have her son cover my work and to have a safe trip back.

I teared up a bit. She reminded me so much of Renee. It was almost painful whenever we talked. They were both so bubbly and carefree. I had been working for her since I was fourteen. After mom had died Mrs. Rae was the first person I called. She had driven over immediately and had just been there for me. Tears started falling and I stubbornly wiped them away. Renee always said she hated when I cried. It will only hurt her up in heaven if she sees me crying now.

The gruff sound of snoring distracted me from my sad thoughts. A thick line of drool was creeping its way out of Daniel's mouth as he slept. A tendril of anger sparked hatred inside of me. How dare he! How dare he try and kill himself. Renee had wanted to live so much and he just wants to toss his life away like it was a used tissue! I bit my tongue to keep from shouting at him. Shouting never fixed anything.

I needed to distract myself or I was going to lose it. I started pacing the room again. I wish I had some sort of outlet for all my anger. When I got home I'd have to figure out a more productive way to take out my negative feelings…

A table I hadn't noticed before caught my attention. It was covered in papers shoved in the corner by the window. A hotel room really shouldn't be this big. I shook my head at the extravagance of it all. It was completely needless, wasting money just because he had it. Money like that could be put to good use, yet it was being wasted away with expensive hotel rooms and overpriced drinks.

I picked up one of the papers randomly and my breath immediately caught in my throat. I had to consciously stop myself from shredding the paper. It was a will. I sunk down to the ground, trying to keep from screaming. Had Daniel really been thinking about killing himself so long that he had enough time to get a will made? Tears blurred my vision and I cried almost as hard as when the police knocked on my door and told me about Renee…

Ten minutes later, after crying silently I looked at the paper, trying to separate my emotions from my body. I immediately felt like an idiot. It wasn't Daniel's will; it was Thomas Alexander Halterman's will. After reading a bit more I figured that the will belongs to Daniel's father. Thomas had all his estates, belongings, and capital going to his wife and two sons, no charities.

With shaking legs I stood back up and looked at the various papers on the table. There was a stack of letters all from various law firms. My heart clenched painfully. There was another will from a Sydney May Halterman, his mother, along with a medical examiner's report. I couldn't bring myself to open it.

A news report I had heard on the radio a little while after Renee died came to mind. It was about a wealthy couple that had died while on the way back from vacation. Their plane had collided with another one mid-takeoff while somewhere in South America. The news caster was freaking out, something about the Halterman Empire and how their death would affect the stock market. I was so wrapped up in my own grief that I had switched the channel almost immediately, not being able to handle anymore death.

I guess this is why he wanted to kill himself, since both his parent died. I just couldn't accept that though. It was _supposed _to happen like that. Parents were _supposed _to die before their children did. It's when the child dies first that it's a real tragedy. I'm sure his parent wanted him to live on long after they passed away…

If I could just explain that to him somehow, explain that they would want him to live a long happy life…

Uck, but how the hell am I supposed to do that? I didn't know his parents. For all I know they could have beat him as a child.

I pulled myself up off the ground and looked at the many stacks of envelops. Most of them were from Halterman Investment Firm. I glanced over at him. He was still asleep and from the looks of it wouldn't be waking up for a while. I sifted through the different letters skimming them. More than half were asking for his approval on some action that the company wanted to take, about how without his signature they couldn't take action.

A few of them were a bit off putting, they just didn't feel right. Before Renee had died we used to watch the news together as a sort of tradition after dinner so I had a bare minimum of knowledge when it comes to the business world, but I could tell there was something off about the requests in those letters.

I separated them into two piles, ones that were iffy and ones that were legitimate. If only I knew more about the corporate game, then I could weed out all those who were trying to take use this man whose parents just died. I hate when people take advantage of other people.

I sat back in my chair, thinking about it. I could bone up on all that corporate investment firm jargon if I had a computer… set this whole thing straight. There was a computer in the lobby of the hotel…

* * *

******Sorry for the slow update. Let's just say you know it's a good party when it starts on the 31st and you're finally recovered mid 2nd. **

**So this sorta sets up why Bella is good in the business world. **


	5. Chapter 5

"What did you do?" An angry voice asked, startling me awake. I looked around the hotel room. The digital clock read just half past five pm.

"What are you talking about?" I asked groggily. Daniel was standing next to the table with the wills and letters. My earlier activities came to mind. "Oh that. I did a little research and separated the letters into two piles. The ones in the pile closest to me are the ones you shouldn't sign. I looked up what those requests would do to your company and it wasn't good. You should really find a way to fire that Mr. Durkheim. He's trying to squeeze every penny he can get from you." I yawned again, too tired to care that he was angry. He sat down at the table and picked up the pile. "I wrote out some notes on why I came to the conclusion that they were bad." I handed him the hotel provided notepad as I headed to the bathroom.

I had been surprised by how fun it was looking up at the details of those deals and requests. I felt like I was cutting away at the bureaucratic and political bull shit, leaving just the important stuff. When I got back into the room he was sitting on the bed, reading the letters.

"You know it's a federal offense to read someone else's mail." He said without looking up.

"Actually it's not. It's only a federal offense if you steal it from a recognized postal place like the post office or mailbox and/or then used its contents for less than honest deeds."

"You're too smart for your own good." He said humorously. "How do you even know that?"

"My mother had a boyfriend who was a lawyer. He liked to list off trivial law facts like that." I shrugged. "Anyways I get the feeling that you're not the type of asshole who turns someone in for trying to help them, and make no mistakes I am trying to help you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why are you trying to help me?" I balked at his question.

"Because it's the right thing to do, you're a person and nobody deserves to be swindled out of their money, even if it is just a dollar, or in this case a few million." I plopped down on the chair, stretching. I could use a good night's rest in my own bed. This sleeping in chairs was screwing up my neck.

"Word of advice, kid, never become a lawyer."

"Stop calling me kid. It's annoying. My name is Bella." He gave me a hard look.

"How old are you anyways?"

"Seventeen."

"If you were a year older we could have some fun together."

"If you were seven years younger that wouldn't be creepy." I felt uncomfortable talking to this practically stranger about the 'fun' we could be having. He laughed at my joke/insult.

"You're not too bad, Bella. In another life we could have been friends or business partners. You were spot on with all these letters." He set them back on the table. "If I was planning on living to tomorrow I might actually take action to prevent these idiots from destroying the company."

"Please stop saying stuff like that." A few tears escaped my eyes and he looked away from me. "Why can't you just see the value of your own life?" I asked, frustrated.

"There is no value to it, only a race that ultimately ends in death. Everything in between is fluff that in the long run means nothing." I was speechless for a whole minute as my mind tried to grasp at any straws, looking to give his life meaning or a reason to live.

"Well, are you really going to just let the empire your parents helped build completely fall apart. Would they want that, would they want you to end your life, a life that they gave you? They're looking down from heaven right now crying for you." He snorted at my response.

"There is no heaven or hell." Daniel said while looking at the ceiling. "When we die it is simply a lack of thought and of the senses. It is simply nothing." He sighed. "I look forward to the nothingness." When I didn't respond he looked over to me with curiosity that quickly turned to panic. My hand was covering my mouth to stop from sobbing as tears streamed down my face. His mouth gaped open. "I'm sorry, Bella, please don't cry." He kneeled in front of me and I pulled my legs up and into the fetal position, resting my forehead on my knees.

"Renee, she's in heaven I know it." I whispered. "Mom has to be in heaven." I felt like I was chocking on my own despair.

"Shh, Bella I'm sorry. I'm sure she's in heaven right now asking the angels to look after you." He tried to console me by placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I felt the dam inside me break, all the pain from the past few months coming forth. I couldn't breathe and for a brief second I wished I hadn't thrown out Daniel's gun, just so I could use it on myself. "I'm sorry, please don't cry." His voice broke and it only made me cry harder. He pulled me down onto his lap and held me tightly against his chest. I latched on to his shirt, hoping for any kind of comfort, any respite from this pain. I just had to believe Renee was living on somehow, somewhere. That she wasn't just a corpse rotting in the ground. Daniel started rocking us back and forth and I could feel his own tears on the top of my head. No one had held me like this since mom died.

"Mommy." I whispered feebly, wishing that she was alive and holding me instead of this stranger. I was too wrapped up in my pain to even care that I didn't know this man who was cradling me like I was both a child and a life buoy in the middle of an ocean.

"I'm sorry." The pain in his voice reverberated in my soul as we shared our misery. I felt my own agony becoming his as his suffering became my own.

* * *

**So they get a bit closer...**


	6. Chapter 6

I don't know how we got onto the bed or when we fell asleep, but the next thing I knew I was waking up feeling like complete shit as someone knocked on the door.

"Go away." My voice was hoarse and I realized I was completely parched. The knocking stopped and I tried to detangle myself from the still sleeping man beside me. My legs were shaky as I stood up and I felt like I hadn't eaten in years. I forgot how much energy a long tear-fest cost me.

I went to the bathroom and drank directly from the tap, not giving a fuck. After a good two minute of drinking I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like complete shit. My face was blotchy and my eyes were slightly swollen. I splashed cold water on my face a few times and it helped.

Despite the hours I just slept I still felt utterly exhausted.

When I walked back into the bedroom Daniel looked like he was having some sort of nightmare. His face was strained and he kept twitching.

"Daniel, wake up." I said loudly and he didn't seem to register it. I sat down beside him on the bed and lightly shook his shoulder. "Daniel, wake up. You're having a nightmare." His eyes cracked open and he let out a sigh that sounded relieved to me. "I'm going to get some food. Come with me." He nodded mutely and got up. I quickly brushed through my hair as he pulled on his shoes and a coat.

I could hear him behind me as we walked down the hallway. The French restaurant that was actually a part of the hotel looked overpriced, but I was too tired to care. I picked up the menu after the waitress led us to a table. Oh yeah, this place was way too hoity-toity for my taste.

"We'll start with escargot and I'll have a steak, rare and whatever bourbon you have." Daniel said to the waitress with a clear, strong voice that I had never heard him use before. "Bella?"

"Water, and this." I pointed to the soup's name on the page, not trusting myself to say its name correctly. She nodded politely and went to put in our orders. "Really, Daniel, escargot, steak, and bourbon. Have you ever heard of a simple meal?" I said teasingly, trying to brighten the mood. He didn't respond right away, instead just looking out at the nearly empty restaurant.

"Well if I have to spend another day on this wretched planet I'm going to eat only the best I can get my hands on." He whispered to me.

"Are you serious?" I asked him in my own hushed voice. "Did the death of your parents really drive you this far? I know it hurts to lose a parent, but to try and kill yourself over it…"

"You think that is the only reason I'm trying to kill myself?" He snorted. "There's more to it than that." He didn't elaborate and we sat in silence for a while before the appetizer came out. The waitress set down the cooked slugs and I looked at them skeptically. "Live a little, Bella." Daniel said in a sarcastic tone as he ate one. I glared at his childishness before trying one. They were pretty good…

"What are your other reasons?" I asked after our main courses arrived.

"None of your damn business." He whispered harshly to me.

"Well how the hell am I supposed to help you when I don't know the problem?" The anger in his eyes quickly changed to guilt and he looked down at his steak, not meeting my eyes for the rest of the meal.

"Here, let me pay." Daniel said when the waitress brought out two separate checks at my request.

"No, why would I let you pay for my meal? That makes no sense."

"Like you were saying earlier, it's the right thing to do. I've been a complete asshole to you and only asked you how old you are even though you've only been trying to help me. Your father must be worried sick about you and I didn't even consider that you might be missing school." I could tell he was being sincere.

"Well I haven't been as nice as I really ought to be towards too, so don't worry about being an asshole. I can guarantee you that my dad isn't worried about me and I dropped out of school. I know I can make it on my own." I said confidently.

"You know what, for some reason I really do think you can make it on your own." He paused. "So are you going to let me pay?"

"Hell no."

* * *

"I was never meant to be the head for Halterman Investment Firm." Daniel suddenly blurted when we got back to the room. I turned towards him confused. "All my life I was groomed to support my brother in that position." He took in a shaky breath. "When my parents died I was sad, but I always knew somewhere in the back of my mind that they would die before me. What I wasn't expecting was what happened to my brother, Tommy." Daniel sat on the bed and wiped away his tears. "When he didn't show up at the funeral I was concerned and two months later I found out why he wasn't there. That fucking idiot had decided to enlist and didn't tell any of us." His voice became emotionless and I could tell he was trying to detach himself from the situation. "He's 28 with a good education and he wanted to be a ground soldier, to fight for his country. He had been paying some proxy to act as head for our European branch of the firm in his place. Instead of following in father's footsteps like he was supposed to he was off playing soldier and got his legs blown off." Daniel laughed without any humor. "Along with that a piece of shrapnel lodged itself in his head putting him in a coma he'll probably never wake up from and even if he does wake up he'll have brain damage.

"Now all three of them are gone and I'm left alone trying to manage this giant entity that effects millions of people every day. Before my parents died the hardest thing I had to do on any given day was decide which restaurant I was taking my most recent gold digging girlfriend to." Daniel gripped the bed sheets tightly and I didn't know what to say. "I can't handle this life of responsibility with my whole family practically dead. I was never meant to lead, only follow. Every day they call me, email me, write me asking me all these questions I don't know the answer to and I just feel this enormous weight suffocating me and then I start thinking about how Tommy would have handled all this perfectly while I'm just fucking everything up." He groaned and it felt like my heart was breaking. "And then you showed up out of nowhere and pulled the gun out of my hand. I was so ready to do it." He wouldn't meet my eyes again.

"Daniel…" I said softly. "You don't have to do this alone. I'm sure there is a ton of qualified people that would jump at the opportunity to help you with your company." I put my hand on his shoulder when he snorted in disbelief. "I know it hurts to lose a loved one, but one of the good things about this world is with there being so many people there is bound to be at least one that you will love and be loved back." He kept shaking his head no as he looked down at his lap. I could tell he was crying. "Daniel, you have to believe me." I tugged him towards me and his arms wrapped around my torso as he buried his wet face in my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair, trying to sooth him as he sobbed. After fifteen minutes his tears started to slow and I could feel his breathing even out.

"I can't kill myself if you're here with me" Daniel said, both annoyed and sad.

"Well then," I said, making up my mind, "I guess I'll have to stay."

* * *

**So yeah, this is the last chapter. This story was just to show how Bella and Daniel's relationship started. What do you think? **


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